teens and ear infections

I learned something today after reading HealthDay News online regarding teens and ear infections.  Research supports that teens that live in households of smoking adults are more likely to get ear infections.  The components of second hand smoke irritate the inside of the ear.  Reading this gives a better feel for how irritating second hand smoke can be.  

Let's get creative about learning

I just finished the article on Edutopia regarding budget cuts and the potential it might have on learning/classroom time.  Lack of resources has become the "norm" when it comes to schools/businesses and even in families.  The article supports the need for awareness that cutting learning time is detrimental to our students.  It does seem to be the trend when we lack the money to support learning resources.  The article suggests tapping into other resources to augment what the schools offer.  For example, there are many Registered Student Organizations on campus as well as sororities and fraternities that are required to do "service learning projects".  What a great resource for both groups, it is a win- win, if you ask me.  The college students get the experience and the younger students get additional support, whether it be after school homework assistance or just having extra time after school on the playground to develop social skills.  We have to get creative!! 

Try to eat healthy

It seems pretty easy to gain weight during the holidays.  The food is good and the weather is not always conducive to exercising and the daylight is shorter.  It is easy to crawl up on the couch and "veg".  Speaking of "veg", Women's Health.Gov reminds us how important it is to choose healthy foods.  Some of the best choices are vegetables and fruits (granted it is more expensive and harder to find fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter months). They also suggest limiting high fatty/cholesterol foods.  Sorry to put such a damper on the holiday fun but I say enjoy the fun foods of the holiday, but do so in moderation and try to bundle up and get out there and enjoy the beautiful winter scenery. 

Today is World Aids Day

Yes today, December 1 is World Aids Day.  I was reminded of that because of an article from the Centers for Disease Control.  It has been about 30 years since HIV/AIDS was first diagnosed.  The CDC has been working on initiatives to bring HIV awareness efforts to the forefront again.  It is true that AIDs related deaths have declined, as people are living longer with better treatment options available; however, there is still much work to be done since there are still over 50,000 new HIV cases annually in the United States according to the CDC.  Efforts include increased testing awareness as well as increased educational efforts. 

Group work

Just read an article from Edutopia regarding students working together in groups.  It seems the teacher that the article focused on was frustrated that the students just were not comprehending this group work concept and not learning the material.  I understand her frustration, it is difficult for students to work together on group projects, to find time to coordinate schedules and there is always one person it seems that does the majority of the work.  Last week, a group of us from Health Education were asked to present to a group of Health fitness/promotion students about an innovative way to teach health topics.  We presented in a play/skit format and educated on health topics.  The class was receptive and seemed to really be engaged. At the end, we each introduced ourselves and I talked about how important it is to learn how to collaborate because this is what you do in the world of work.  With limited resources, it is so important to tap into each other to bring projects such as this to fruition. I think that in the early years, it is important for students to learn this, but of course there will always be some resistance.

Walking and Alzheimers

Nothing feels better to me than taking a nice walk especially after a stressful day, so it is no wonder that the article about exercise/walking caught my attention.  According the National Institutes of Health, just regular walking can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.  Research also supports that even those already diagnosed with this dreadful brain disease that causes the loss of memory, show slower decline of the disease with regular exercise, especially walking.  It is because exercise increases blood flow to areas in the body and brain.  The best part about this type of exercise is that most people can do it, and it doesn't cost anything.  

Facebook and Asthma????

I found this article interesting especially in light of this week's Facebook focus.  Apparently, according to Medline Plus, a man whose girlfriend recently broke off the relationship continued to view her Facebook page under a new name.  As he continued to see her "friend" new men, this apparently triggered and exacerbated his asthmatic condition.  The article opens up new thoughts on social networking as a potential health issue trigger, hmm. 

Exercise and common cold

Based on information from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, people who exercise at least 5 days a week have 43% less respiratory infections than those who only exercise 1 day a week.  I think this is a good reminder to all of us to get out there and exercise, especially during those winter months.  Grab some warm clothing and non-skid boots and go for a walk, enjoy the beautiful glistening trees and the fresh air.  It also makes us feel better mentally when we can get out of the house during those long winter months, I think.  

Antibiotics

Working in a college health clinic, we see lots of people coming in with respiratory illness.  Most of these illnesses are caused by viruses, making antibiotics useless in these cases.  Many times these patients want to be prescribed antibiotics.  It is important for people to realize that an antibiotic is not always the best thing to take, because if they are prescribed too often or when not necessary, a body can develop a drug resistance.  Also, when you are prescribed an antibiotic, make sure you finish the entire prescription because even though a person is feeling better, it doesn't necessarily mean that the pathogen is gone. This is reiterated in the recent article I read from the CDC. 

Cholera outbreak in Haiti

When I read stories such as this, it makes me think twice about what we take for granted.  In Haiti, there is a cholera outbreak according to the CDC.  Cholera is an infectious disease that is caused by a bacteria and is basically transmitted through unclean water and food.  I remember as a kid my grandpa used to talk about cholera and how many people he saw get sick and die from it as his family was migrating from Germany to the United States.  I think that is why this story piqued my interest, because of my grandpa's experience. I would recommend anyone traveling outside of the United States to consult with a travel health clinic or physician to reduce risks of acquiring diseases that are prevalent in other countries.  Sometimes vaccinations are recommended before traveling to certain countries, other suggestions might be to bring own water or boiling the water before drinking. 

CDC - Making us Aware

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is expanding awareness efforts relating to homelessness.  Homelessness continues to be a problem, especially in light of this economic climate.  Because homelessness is associated with larger rates of disease, they feel that there is a need to provide more services or make them available to those who are in need.

Twittter

Just read an article from the Read Write Web regarding twitter and the potential for individuals who tweet in different languages.  This global tool enables translation for a variety of languages.  What will they think of next??

Sleep and vocabulary

Just read an article from Health Day News.  I always felt that people who get adequate sleep are healthier and better able to perform, especially in school.  This article reinforces that, as it was based on a study done on new word recall after sleep.  It was shown that participants were able to remember new words much better after sleep compared to within a few minutes following learning them  This is because the brain activity that occurs during sleep helps strengthen memory. 

ADHD & Adult Obesity

According the National Institutes of Mental Health, a new study conducted and reported in the International Journal of Obesity recently released supports that kids who have ADHD  are more likely to be obese as adults.  The study was conducted between the years 1995 - 2009 of more than 15,000 young adults.  The survey asked participants about symptoms of ADHD and concluded that the more symptoms the student had, the more likely they were obese as a young adult.  It is believed that it is because the ADHD medications are appetite suppressants, and it is strongly advised that physicians pay close attention to the weight of these individuals as they get older, especially for those whose medication dose decreases or is discontinued. 

Grants for Public Health

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced via CDC newsroom that grants are being awarded to public health agencies to maintain and offer preventative health services.  As a health educator this is critical because research that I have read supports prevention costs a lot less money than the treatment of illness in the long haul.  Michigan was awarded $400,000 to be used over a 5 year period according to the report. 

teen drivers

Just read an article posted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), stating that teen crash/fatalities have declined since 2004.  They feel that it is due to the requirements placed on new drivers, such as limited night time driving.  I have a 15 year old who will get his license this month, so as a parent I am glad to hear this news. 

Edutopia/Math

I viewed a video on Edutopia highlighting an elementary school in Oregon.  The curriculum is unique because they integrate math throughout all of the subjects taught.  It is felt by incorporating their math skills throughout each subject area, it fosters good problem solving skills.  Each student that was interviewed at the school stated that Math was their favorite subject.  Perhaps, if I was taught this way, I would have liked math too. 

Energy Drinks/Alcohol

There has been a growing concern about combining alcohol and energy drinks.  One would think that combining these two drinks would be safe, in  a sense cancel each other out, since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant.  This is not the case, the energy drinks only intensify the effects of the alcohol and gives the one who is consuming a higher likelihood of consuming more alcohol.    Most recently these dangers were outlined in an article in "Medline Plus", which discusses drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine all in one drink. One example is Four Loko, states the article.    These are sold in stores and because of the can design. appear to be innocuous.  This is not the case, as some of these drinks contain the equivalent of about 4 drinks in one can.  I feel that there needs to be more awareness and education and clerks in stores need to be held responsible if these drinks get sold to minors. 

Diabetes Update

I am well aware that there has been an increase in Type II diabetes in the last several years.  Type II diabetes is when the cells do not use insulin efficiently and is most prevalent in later years, and typically tied to obesity.   I just read recently that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is concerned with the growing numbers of diabetes cases.  They claim that by the year 2050 cases of diabetes will grow to one in every three people. I wasn't aware of the severity of it until I read this article.   Currently, in the United States one in every 10 adults is diagnosed with Type II diabetes.  This is serious and more awareness needs to be placed on healthy diet and adequate exercise.

Collaboration

I just finished reading the article "Seven Steps to Building School to Industry Partnerships" from Edutopia.  The article supports networking and collaboration and discusses steps in how to build those partnerships between schools and other industries.  I think it is essential in any industry especially in light of these economic times to share resources as I believe it facilitates a more successful outcome regardless of the industry.  Some of the critical steps to building those partnerships according to the article are to find partners with the similar missions and passions, have good leaders and remember it takes time to build strong partnerships. 

Air pollution and health

A recent danish study supports that even low levels of air pollution could result in a higher risk for a condition called COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  This is a disease of the lungs which makes it difficult for people to breathe.  The study which appeared in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also stated that individuals who suffered from diabetes and asthma were at greater risk.  Eating fruit seems to be helpful in decreasing risk for the disease. 

Flu Shots

Just a reminder to folks to get their flu shots.  This year's vaccine has the H1N1 strain as well as two other seasonal strains.   Last year's season was pretty frightening with the H1N1 scare and the many deaths associated with that strain.  I just recently read that the CDC stated that a lot of the people that died last year from this strain were also infected with a bacteria that causes pneumonia.  Complications from those infections probably led to many of those deaths.  The following link provides CDC vaccine recommendations.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/default.htm

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is not only evident on college campuses, but appears to be a huge problem in high schools.  Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that a quarter of high school students are experimenting with alcohol and are even binge drinking.  Binge drinking essentially means that the person is drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short time frame. 

Funding for HIV Awareness

Glad to hear that funding opportunities are increasing and becoming available to support more HIV testing and awareness initiatives.  The US Department of Health and Human Services (hhs.gov) stated last month that grants in the neighborhood of 30 million will boost resources for this important endeavor.  As an HIV test counselor, this is awesome news!!